The Invasion of the Mesozoic Sea: Systematics, Paleobiogeography and Paleoecology of Stem-Group Sauropterygia (Reptillia, Diapsida)

翼龙属（Sauropterygia）是一种成功入侵中生代海洋的化石潜殖类爬行动物的主要分支。三叠纪茎类蜥脚类为研究主要分支的早期进化史提供了一个很好的例子，该分支涉及从一个适应区到另一个适应区的转变，即爬行动物入侵海洋栖息地。对这一类群的进化史的研究，涉及复杂的古生物地理关系和功能形态复合体的基本变化，必须在系统发育相互关系的良好证实模式的背景下进行。日耳曼Muschelkalk地区对蜥脚类动物的完整认识，为该地区以外的三叠纪蜥脚类动物群（包括西班牙、罗马尼亚、以色列、中国和美国西部的中三叠世动物群）的修订提供了理想的背景。茎群蜥脚类的系统发育关系将在全球范围内进行分析。所得到的枝状图将作为研究早期翼龙进化的古地理、古生态和功能形态学相关性的基础。

9419675 Rieppel The Sauropterygia is a major clade of fossil diapsid reptiles which successfully invaded the Mesozoic sea. The Triassic stem-group Sauropterygia provide a prime example for the study of the early evolutionary history of a major clade which involves the shift from one adaptive zone to another, i.e. the invasion of the marine habitat by reptiles. The study of the evolutionary history of this group, involving complex paleobiogeographical relations and fundamental changes of functional morphologic complexes, must be set against the background of a well corroborated pattern of phylogenetic interrelationships. Complete knowledge of sauropterygians from the Germanic Muschelkalk provides the ideal background for a revision of Triassic sauropterygian faunas outside this region including faunas from the Middle Triassic of Spain, Rumania, Israel, China, and the western United States. The phylogenetic interrelationships of stem-group Sauropterygia will be analyzed on a global scale. The resulting cladogram will be used as basis for an investigation of the palebiogeographical, paleoecological and functional morphological correlates of early sauropterygian evolution.